1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally directed to methods and systems for improving recycling rates by providing financial incentives to households engaged in recycling. Certain embodiments of the invention relate to the reduction of costs associated with waste collection and the enhancement of collection efficiency. Other embodiments of the invention relate to opening a marketing channel for participating retailers to build value from corporate citizenship.
2. Background
The cost of waste collection and disposal in many cities has reached a critical level. The decrease in available landfill capacity means that the cost for disposing of municipal solid waste continues to increase. Where landfill capacity exists there remains the potential environmental hazards associated with landfill operation. The financial and environmental burdens associated with the disposal of waste in landfills has encouraged municipalities to actively pursue recycling as an alternative.
The cost for disposing waste in landfills has risen dramatically in recent years due to the effects of diminishing landfill space and increasing state landfill taxes. In addition, there is the added environmental cleanup costs for landfills that leak dangerous chemicals into the environment.
As the global manufacturing sector has developed, the demand for recyclable goods has increased. Manufacturers have long recognized that it is far cheaper to manufacture from recyclable material than it is to extract and manufacture from virgin material.
The advances in Single Stream Recycling (SSR) technology reduces the cost of recycling. Recent improvements in the automated separation of recyclables at processing centers have dramatically reduced the cost of collecting, sorting, and processing recyclables. SSR technology enables an automated process to separate a commingled group of recyclables (for example, cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and aluminum). SSR technology enables municipalities to cut collection cost by only having to collect one recycling container, as opposed to separate containers, and permits processing centers to cut costs by using an automated process to separate the recyclables, as opposed to manual labor, to reduce labor costs and sorting time.
Federal, State, and local governments have dramatically increased funding for recycling programs.
However, a lack of advanced tools in strategy, operations management and information technology in the waste management industry has limited the ability of municipalities to implement incentives for households to recycle, to design effective strategies, and to measure performance. Low recycling rates have stifled the potential for municipalities to cut operating costs and generate revenue.
Recycling reduces the financial burden of waste disposal, reduces energy costs, and conserves our environment's resources. The average household recycling rate, after rising steadily in the 1990's, has stalled. By way of example, the 14th Annual Nationwide Survey of Solid Waste Management in the United States, conducted by Scott Kaufman, Research Director of RecycleBank, found that twenty-eight states reported a decrease in recycling since 2001.
There is, therefore, a need to establish recycling initiatives which recognize the existing problems associated with the disposal of waste and promote recycling efforts as part of a waste management program.